Improvement in windmills



J. STEINER.

Windmill.

No. 215,687 Patehted May 20, 1-879.

INVENTOR M ATTORNEY WITNESSES N, PEI'ERS. PHOTO LITNOG UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE;

JACOB STEINER, OF BLUFFTON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN WINDMILLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215.687, dated May 20,1879; application filed February 24, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ACOB STEINER, of Bluffton, in the county of Allenand State of Ohio, have invented a new and valuable Improvement inWindmills and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the construction and operation of the same,reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of thisspecification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a side view of a side,partly in section, of my improved wind-engine. Fig. 2 is a rear viewthereof looking from the tower. Fig. 3 is a view of the wheel-blade,showing its attachment t0 the radial spoke. Fig. 4 is a detail.

This invention has relation to improvements in windmills; and the natureof the invention consists in combining, with a main shaft journaled in aturn-table and having a hub with radial projecting spokes, wind-bladesrotating axially on said spokes, and provided with spurs at their innerends engaging a metallic ring, governorrods hinged to the hub andprovided with fans at their upper ends, a sliding sleeve on the mainshaft, rods connecting the governors and sleeves, other rods connectingthe wind-blades and the rods aforesaid, and a spring on the main shaftbetween said slide and a stop, as will be hereinafter more fully setforth.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A' designates the metallicplate at the top of the tower, the same being a flat annulus providedwith a vertical annular flange, a. This plate constitutes the fixedportion of the turn-table, and is secured to the tower in ahorizontalposition. 13 indicates a similar plate having a similar flange, 1),extending through the annularflange a, and prevented from escaping therefrom by a collar, t. The plateB has abearing on the annular flange a,and is provided at its top with two opposite pillow-blocks, c, in whichthe main shaft 0 of the wheel has its bearings, the said blocks beingusually secured to the arms 01 projecting horizontally and in oppositedirections from the plate 13, and the crankarm, eccentric, or otherequivalent device bein g intermediate the said blocks. The shaft 0 iskept in the line of the wind' by a vane,D, secured to the said plate Bin any suitable manner.

E indicates a hub of suitable strength and material that is rigidlysecured to the main shaft, and is provided with a suitable number ofradial arms, F, upon which are swiveled the fan-blades G. This isusually done as follows: Two iron castings, e e, are bolted to the bladeat a suitable distance apart, plate 0 being provided with a flange, f,in which is stepped the outer end of the radial arm F and the innerplate, 6, with a sleeve, f, through which the said arm extends. Theblade is prevented from blowing 0d of its arm by means of a head, nut,or other equivalent on the end of the arm outside of the step-flange.

Projecting downward from each of the blades F is a stud, t, that engagesa perforation in a ring, g, of any desired metal, which ring is arrangedconcentrically to the hub. The effect of this construction is that whenone of the blades turns upon its arm all must turn. The stud i isusually engaged in a seat, j, of the casting c, as shown in Fig. 3, sothat when broken it may be replaced. H designates strong metallic rodshinged at their inner ends to the hub of the wind-wheel, and provided ontheir outer ends with broad fans j, the flat surfaces of which arealways facing the wind. These rods are connected to a sliding sleeve,70, on the main shaft by means of the rods 70/, and these latter withthe blades F by means of the rods 1. Hence, when the force of the windis sufflcient it will, acting on the fans j, cause the governorrods H toswing inward toward the tower, forcing the sleeve 70 against a spring,8', coiled around the main shaft, and compressing it through the mediumof the connecting-rods 7c, and turning the blades more or less to thewind through the medium of the rods 1. The force of the wind havinglessened, spring 8 reacts and throws the blades back into the windautomatically. This spring is between the pillow-blocks c or a collar onthe main shaft and the sliding collar, and its function is to hold thewind-blades facing the wind under all ordinary circumstances, and toyield when overpowered by the wind-pressure on .the governor-fans andallow the blades to be turned edgewise to the gale. The slide isprovided with an annular groove, in which is engaged a fork upon the endof a rod extending inward toward the turn-table, by means of which thewind-blades may be thrown out of the wind by hand.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the shaft 0, having hub E, with fixed radial armsF, and the blades G, rotating axially on said arms and provided withspurs i, of the ring g, engaged by said spurs, the governor-rods H,carrying the fans j, the sliding sleeve 70 on the main shaft, the rodsk, connecting the governors and sleeve, the rods 1, connecting the rods70, and the windblades G, and the spring 8, all arranged and operatingsubstantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

J AOOB STEINER. Witnesses:

HENRY L. RoMEY, JAMES WILSON.

